Conventional air conditioning systems, often referred to as heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems for residential dwellings and other installations typically utilize one thermostat for controlling the temperature in the entire controlled space. For example, in a residential dwelling the thermostat is normally located centrally, such as in an interior hallway. However, various rooms throughout the dwelling, such as the kitchen, upper bedrooms in multi-story homes, or rooms in which a more appreciable heating or cooling load is occurring may not be properly controlled to produce a comfortable temperature for the occupants.
It is desirable to be able to control the temperature in various rooms or “zones” within a residential dwelling or other enclosed space. It is also desirable to be able to control the temperature at a particular area or in a particular room in a controlled interior space, and to control the HVAC system to provide an average temperature based on sensing temperatures at several locations within the controlled space, such as various rooms or zones within a residential dwelling unit.
In commercial structures, zoned HVAC systems are commonly employed for controlling multiple zones throughout the structure. A zoned system generally comprises multiple sensors disposed throughout the structure and operable to monitor temperature in corresponding zones. Upon sensing a temperature in a zone, a sensor may send a signal to a central control unit, which is operable to respond to the HVAC needs of the corresponding zone. While zoned systems have several known advantages, the overall cost installing and implementing such systems in a suitable infrastructure can be relatively expensive.